Herb: Chimney Bellflower


Latin name: Campanula pyramidalis


Family: Campanulaceae (Bellflower Family)



Edible parts of Chimney Bellflower:

Leaves - raw or cooked. A mild slightly sweet flavour. Flowers - raw. A nice decorative addition to salads, the flowers have a pleasant sweet flavour.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
150 cm
(5 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Naturalized on walls in southern England and the Channel Islands.

Propagation of Chimney Bellflower:

Seed - surface sow spring in a cold frame. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 18°C. It is best to sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a greenhouse in order to give the plant a long season of growth, otherwise sow it in late winter. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Basal cuttings in spring. Harvest the shoots when they are about 10 - 15cm long with plenty of underground stem. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer. Division in spring or autumn. The plant has a thick fleshy root with a number of crowns. Whilst this can be divided if great care is taken not to damage the root, it is not really recommended because the divisions take a long time to become established.

Cultivation of the herb:

Naturalized on walls in southern England and the Channel Islands.

Medicinal use of Chimney Bellflower:

None known

Known hazards of Campanula pyramidalis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.